Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1887-11-26
Original Housekeeping.


ing in a way to be conducive to
the greatest happiness of all the
members of the family. I do not
mean By this that if some of her
family want to lie 9hed in the
morning till long past the usual
breakfast hour, that she must hu
NOR the weak whm, and fly to
prepare a pleasant repast, no mat,
ter when their lazy pleasure calls
them forth; nor that she shonld lay
aside all consideration of self, and
I've veered aboutin every direction,
mere slave for those who will viii
lingly and needlessly shuttle bur.
denS on her shoulders. if she will
bear them; but that she should so
order and manage her many sided
duties thatthe health and harmony
of the whole household may be best
secured.
1t is no FOOLS job to do this, and
any woman who thinks to be a
successful housekeerer without
brains will wake up to find herself
mistaken. She must have system
in her buSiness-she must have a
morning to wash. a morning to
iron, a morning to bake, a morning
to cluru, &c, and then direct her
energies to carrying out this geli-
eraI plan as nearly ms she honor
ably and politely may. But in so
doing she must not make herself
tlisagreeable. she must remember
that a true life is not spent for life
alone; but for others. She will he
subject to Interruption. and OBJ
stacleS may arise that have
not been calculated for, and make
it desirable that she should put Off
washing or some other essential
work until another day. This she
can do, and the world will notceaSe
to move, the sun will shine and the
rain descend, and if she is "a per-
feet woman, nobly planned" she
can be as cheerful as though her
purpose had not been thus frus.
trated.
There are women who could
scarcely he persuaded to put OFT
their usual days work TO go to Il
wedding or funeral, and others
wo never think of baking till the
last crumb is exhausted, nor wash
ing until they are out OF clean
clothes. There are those who
would not bulge an inch from the
beaten track to take a ride when
their husbands invited them, and
others who are gadding about in
season and ont, only staying bone
when there is no place to go to-
There are women who have lots of
time to go visiting, and are the
most genial people in the world at
other folks table, but who look
daggers if friend drops i'll un;tn-
nounced to dine or sup with them.
| suppose it takes all sorts to
make up world, but the. above
varieties are not your style nor
mine.
Some one says.-"Give a plan of
work from Monday morning till
Sunday night" This, dear woman,
can not be done tor you; you know
best the ins and outs Of your own
establishment. Your husband is
not like mlne-he is not half so
good-and your children are not of
the stuff of which mine are made.
You have duties that 1 know not of
and | have those you never dreamed
Of; your society is not mine, and it
calls for exerti0ns fron my phllos
ophy. When one is in Rome, they
want to do as Romans do; so you
want 10 do as your associates do;
you want your house furnished as
theirs is, you want to feed them as
they feed y on; and so from the set
ting of Il tea table to the doing up
of your back hair, you must de-
eide for yourself how it shall be al
ranged. You know hest the ma.
terial YOU have to deal with.
Every successful houSekeeper
must lay her own plans, use her
own Judgment, and not trust to
others. She may gather ideas and
information from the printed page;
but she must fit them into her
own programme OF business; The
same as she gathers styles and de
signs for dresses from fashion
plates, hut fits them to her figure
before she uses them.
There is crying demand for
more thoughtful housekeepers and
mothers, more independent wo
nen who ae willing to let their
own good sense lead them in their
domestic duties, and for more
original housekeeping, and less
following i'll others wake. 1t is
worse than folly foy a woman Of
little means and no kitchen help
to speak of, to try to live and ell
terrain in the style of her neighbor
who is more abundantly provided
for. Trying to keep up to those
beyond has ruined many a family,
and broken the health Of scores OF
women.
GA virtuons woman looketh well
to the ways of her household, and
eateth not the bread of idleneSs.-
Her children arise up aud call her
blessed; her husband is known in
the gates, and he praiseth her."
This is as true to day as in the
ti,na Of Kinu 7 "a nrylnI The woman